SECOND TRAGEDY OF BHOPAL

The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has issued the following statement :

The details of the Bhopal tragedy judgement are now available through the Press. The whole nation is shocked with the judgement which gave only two years of imprisonment and a small amount of fine to 8 Indian officials of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), for killing more than 15,000 citizens and damaging the health of lakhs of citizens. It exposes the mockery of our prosecution and judicial system. This is an insult on the injury inflicted on the Bhopal victims.

Justice is delayed as the judgement came after 25 years of tragedy. Justice is denied by awarding small punishments to the biggest tragedy in the world. Justice is buried, as there is not even a mention of Mr. Anderson the then Chairman of UCIL in the judgement.

Mr. Anderson the then chairman was arrested, released on bail, escaped to USA but US refused to arrest and handover to us. Our Government instructs CBI not to press for deporting him to India.

It is a shame on Government of India that the culprits neither pay reasonable compensation, nor awarded punishment. The government owes an explanation to the nation. The Judgment on the worst ever industrial disaster of a Multinational Corporation’s chemical unit should be an eye opener to the UPA II government that is trying to push through a Nuclear Liability Legislation that will absolve the nuclear reactor suppliers of all responsibility in case of disaster in nuclear plants